Posted on 06/17/2005 9:25:39 AM PDT by kiriath_jearim
House Rejects Effort on Rifle Restriction
By ANDREW TAYLOR
June 16, 2005, 4:18 PM EDT
WASHINGTON -- The National Rifle Association and its allies in the House beat back an effort Thursday to restrict gun manufacturers' exports of high-powered, .50-caliber rifles that can bring down jet airliners from a mile away.
By a 278-149 vote, the House killed an amendment by Rep. James Moran to block .50-caliber exports to civilians. He said the guns are dream weapons for terrorists.
"These are unparalleled weapons, and I'm not trying to restrict them in the United States," said Moran, D-Va. "I just don't want them sold by arms dealers."
But gun rights advocates, with backing from the powerful NRA, turned aside the amendment.
The vote came as the House wrapped up a three-day debate and passed by 418-7 a $57.5 billion spending bill for NASA and the departments of Commerce, State and Justice for the budget year beginning Oct. 1.
The Senate has yet to act on the bill.
Supporters of gun rights said the government already has ample authority to block the export of .50-caliber weapons.
"This amendment is not going to address illegal sales," said Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn.
The .50-caliber rifle is the most powerful firearm in wide circulation. It can penetrate thick steel used to armor personnel carriers and is accurate at distances greater than a mile. Moran said that if someone were to use the weapons from such distances, he easily would evade law enforcement.
The risks associated with .50-caliber weapons gained attention this year after CBS' "60 Minutes" aired a report demonstrating the ease with which .50-caliber rifles could be exported to overseas militias.
But the NRA said the amendment was an unnecessary infringement on gun rights and that existing laws provide penalties for smuggling the rifles.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
My NRA at work.
If you're a member, please put the NRA initials in your tagline. If not, please join. They are the best and biggest dog in your fight to keep and bear arms.
From a mile away....... I would really like to see that.
Adding to powers already empowered is stupid. It wouldn't hurt though if the same folks ignoring ilegals going over the border would consider the fact these guys can bring weapons acrost with ease.
"Women and minorities also hurt."
Seriously, if anyone ever doubts the leftist slant of the MSM, one need look no further than the article's first sentence.
"The National Rifle Association and its allies in the House beat back an effort Thursday to restrict gun manufacturers' exports of high-powered, .50-caliber rifles"
It's amazing how the MSM manages to ignore the fact that opposition to gun control might actually have a particle of public support-it's always just the NRA 'against the will and good sense of the American public.' Barf.
One can almost smell the hopolophobe bias wafting of this piece of crAP!
Good job by the NRA and their eeeeeeevil Republican House Allies on this one!
Don't worry. The next dem adminsitration will just add it to the next installment of the "patriot" act.
"...50-caliber rifles that can bring down jet airliners from a mile away. "
But only if it uses Black Rhino ammunition?
Gee! Did they check Wellstone's plane for a .50 cal. bullethole ??
--and as sort of an aside to this, it required 12000 rounds of .50BMG ammo per enemy plane shot down in WW 2, in both the European and Pacific theatres of war---
"it required 12000 rounds of .50BMG ammo per enemy plane shot down in WW 2"
Yes, it did, and that's why those guns must be banned, Banned BANNED!
Think of the huge population of American and foreign Muslims in the USA. And every one of them has, or is going to get, one of those .50 cal airplane killer guns.
Sell your airline stock! Buy Barrett stock!
My sarcasm well just went dry.
Closer than that, it won't hit a durned thing.
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